realmofadventurefandomcom-20200216-history
Eater of Knowledge
Eater of Knowledge Large Outsider (Extraplanar, Evil) Hit Dice: 10d8+40 (95 hp) Initiative: +5 Speed: 20 ft (4 squares) Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 18 Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+20 Attack: Slam +16 melee (3d4+6) Full Attack: 2 slams +16 melee (3d4+6) Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft Special Attacks: Acquire feats, acquire skills, acquire spellcasting, improved grab, ingest brain, psionics, spell-like abilities Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, immune to mind-affecting effects, spell resistance 26, telepathy 100 ft Saves: Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +11 Abilities: Str 22, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 20 Skills: Bluff +18, Concentration +17, Diplomacy +22, Disguise +5 (+7 acting), Intimidate +20, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (religion) +17, Knowledge (the planes) +17, Listen +17, Search +17, Sense Motive +17, Spellcraft +19, Spot +17, Survival +4 (+6 following tracks, +6 other planes) Feats: Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Spell Penetration, Weapon Focus (slam) Environment: Concordant Domain of the Outlands Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 12 Treasure: Double standard Alignment: Always neutral evil Advancement: 11-20 HD (Large); 21-30 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: --- This humanoid shape is a hideous heap of leathery hide and brain-like material, with exposed ganglia and brain matter oozing from openings in its distended skull, surrounded by a reek of rot and decay. This slow, shambling thing shuffles along with clumsy, awkward jerks, and moans and gurgles as it moves. The eaters of knowledge were created by the illithid god-brain Ilsensine to be its servants and do its bidding. The mind flayer deity does not leave its realm on the Outlands, the Caverns of Thought, but uses the eaters as its emissaries, messengers, guardians, hunters, and instruments of vengeance. They are also sometimes loaned out to other gods as part of a bargain, and are occasionally sent to the Material plane to assist Ilsensine’s cultists. The primary mission of the eaters of knowledge is to add to Ilsensine’s knowledge by venturing into realms the god cannot monitor and observe what they can. They also devour the brains of sentient creatures they encounter, adding the creatures’ memories and experiences to their own. An eater of knowledge is an extremely intelligent and dangerous creature, despite its repulsive, clumsy appearance. It is said that they are made from creatures that have ventured into the Caverns of Thought and had their minds destroyed. The god-brain selects some of these near-zombies, removed the brains, and replaces them with portions of its own body. This vile stuff causes the host body to swell and change into the form of an eater of knowledge. The eaters have no definite life span or means of reproduction, and Ilsensine cares little for them individually. An eater of knowledge is 9 feet tall and weighs 550 pounds. An eater of knowledge cannot speak, but communicate telepathically; its mental voice is said to be a discordant chorus of every sentient creature it has devoured. COMBAT An eater of knowledge is an exceptionally dangerous opponent, and is much stronger and swifter than its soft, bulbous form would appear. Its ability to ingest a victim’s brain is more time-consuming than that of a mind flayer, but any victim is unlikely to escape unscathed. An eater won’t release a victim until it has completely consumed the brain, but it can be forced to let go it killed, reduced to 10 or fewer hit points, or attacked with powerful magic; an eater would rather flee than die. While an eater of knowledge is deadly in melee combat, it prefers to rely on its magical and mental powers, as well as abilities it has stolen from creatures it has fed on. It uses its powers to lure lone victims away from their companions, allowing the eater to feed interrupted. An eater of knowledge’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Acquire Feats (Ex): An eater of knowledge permanently acquires two of the feats of a consumed creature as bonus feats, provided it meets the feats' prerequisites. Acquire Skills (Ex): An eater of knowledge can acquire one skill known by a creature whose brain it has consumed, chosen at the time of consumption. It permanently gains all of the creature’s ranks in that skill (but not racial or ability score bonuses to the skill modifier) even if its new total is more ranks than the eater's Hit Dice would normally allow. This skill becomes a class skill for the eater of knowledge, and it may buy more ranks in the skill if the new ranks do not cause it to exceed the maximum ranks in the skill. Acquire Spellcasting (Ex): An eater of knowledge permanently gains the ability to cast the spells of a spellcaster whose brain it has consumed. The eater of knowledge is able to cast one spell of each level available to the character, up to a level equal to the eater's Hit Dice divided by 2 plus 1 (6th-level for a typical eater of knowledge). The eater of knowledge also gains bonus spells provided by its ability scores. If the eater of knowledge already has spellcasting levels, these spells are in addition to those granted by the eater's spellcasting class levels. If the victim prepares spells as a wizard, the eater of knowledge must still consult a spellbook or learn from scrolls. An eater of knowledge cannot spontaneously replace spells (like a cleric does with cure spells or a druid with summon nature's ally spells), nor does it gain access to any domain spells or powers. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an eater of knowledge must hit a Small, Medium, or Large creature with both slam attacks. It can attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can ingest the creature’s brain. An eater of knowledge can grab a Huge or larger creature, but only if it can somehow reach the foe's head. Ingest Brain (Ex): An eater of knowledge that makes a successful grapple check brings its exposed cerebral matter in contact with the victim’s flesh. Tiny tendrils of nerves bore into the victim’s flesh and begin to take control of its nervous system, tunneling towards the brain. This agonizing process deals 1d6+6 points of damage to the victim each round, and the victim must succeed on a DC 19 Will save or take 1 point of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma drain each round as well. The save DC is Constitution-based. The damage and ability drain stops if the victim escapes or is pulled free, or if the eater is forced to let go. A creature seized by an eater of knowledge is automatically pinned once the ingestion process begins; thus, it can only use the escape from grapple option. After 1d4 rounds of this, the eater’s tendrils reach the victim’s brain and begin to extract it. Tiny chunks of brain matter are torn away by the tendrils and drawn back into the eater of knowledge, dealing 1d6 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma drain each round. When any of these ability scores reaches 0, the creature dies. This power is useless against constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and undead. Psionics (Sp): At will - animate objects, astral projection, confusion (DC 17), daze monster (DC 17), detect thoughts (DC 17), dimension door (DC 18), inflict light wounds (DC 16, 1d8+5), mage armor, pyrotechnics (DC 17), stoneskin, telekinesis (DC 20), telepathic bond; 3/day - dominate monster (DC 24), globe of invulnerability; 1/day - disintegrate (DC 21). Effective caster level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. Spell-Like Abilities: At will - confusion (DC 19), detect thoughts (DC 17), dominate person (DC 20), hold person (DC 18), levitate, modify memory (DC 19), see invisibility, shadow walk (DC 21). Caster level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. Psionic Eater of Knowledge If you use the Expanded Psionics Handbook in your game, alter the eater of knowledge as follows: Large Outsider (Extraplanar, Evil, Psionic) Special Attacks: Acquire feats, acquire skills, acquire spellcasting, improved grab, ingest brain, psi-like abilities Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immune to mind-affecting effects, power resistance 26, telepathy 100 ft. Skills: Bluff +18, Concentration +17, Diplomacy +22, Disguise +5 (+7 acting), Intimidate +20, Knowledge (psionics) +17, Knowledge (religion) +17, Knowledge (the planes) +17, Listen +17, Psicraft +19, Search +17, Sense Motive +17, Spot +17, Survival +4 (+6 following tracks, +6 other planes) Feats: Combat Manifestation, Improved Initiative, Power Penetration, Weapon Focus (slam) A psionic eater of knowledge does not possess the psionic spell-like abilities of the normal eater of knowledge. Instead, it has psi-like abilities. Psi-Like Abilities (Sp): At will - astral caravan, control body (Large or smaller, DC 19*), control object, ego whip (2d4 Cha damage, DC 19*), id insinuation (four targets, DC 20*), inertial barrier, inflict pain (four targets, DC 20*), matter agitation, matter manipulation, mental barrier (5 rounds*), mind thrust (10d10 damage, DC 20*), mindlink (six targets, nonwilling DC 16), psionic dimension door (DC 19), read thoughts (DC 17), telekinetic force (375 pounds, DC 18*), telekinetic maneuver (+1 on bull rush, disarm, grapple and trip checks*), telekinetic thrust (375 pounds, DC 18); 3/day - catapsi (DC 20), intellect fortress (4 rounds*), mind probe (DC 20), psionic blast (three rounds, DC 18*), psionic dominate (affects animals, fey, giants, humanoids, magical beasts and monstrous humanoids, DC 20*); 1/day - psionic disintegrate (DC 21). Manifester level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. *Includes augmentation for the eater of knowledge's manifester level. Originally found in Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (1995, Rich Baker). Category:Outsiders